5 resources to help you get the most out of your smart devices

Thanks to these companies, smart technology — from iPhones to connected thermostats — doesn’t need to be intimidating.

Smart technology is designed to make our lives easier, but the learning curve for setting up and managing these connected devices can feel intimidating. The result? We often don’t take full advantage of the tech available to us.

Thankfully, several organizations provide ways to help you get the most out of the latest smart tools. The following resources will help you sync your cloud storage, troubleshoot your WiFi problems like a pro, or install your first smart thermostat in under an hour.

Apple and Samsung Skills Workshops

Smart phones and tablets are sleek and shiny on the outside, but their software is far from simple. Luckily, both Apple and Samsung offer workshops to help you take full advantage of the tech in your hands. Apple offers free, hour-long workshops at any of its stores, so you can become an expert iPhone photographer or get into the nitty gritty of iCloud storage. Samsung offers similar classes at their Experience Shops around the country: Get the lowdown on their smart products and learn how to connect everything within the company’s ecosystem.

Thumbtack

Some people just don’t have the time (or desire) to sit down and learn how to set up their own technology. That’s when you call in an expert to get it all done for you. Thumbtack is an expansive network of professionals whose expertise range from network support to mobile phone repair. After answering a short set of questions, Thumbtack emails you a list of professionals with the skills you need, as well as quotes for each individual. And it’s not just technology — they have experts to help with pretty much anything.

Enjoy

After experiencing Enjoy, you may never purchase smart gadgets the same way again. Once you decide which product you’d like delivered, they send a tech expert to your house to help you set it up and show you how to manage the features. At the end of the session, you can purchase the device — like a Nest Thermostat or an eero system — and your only cost is the price of the product itself. The training experience is entirely free! Enjoy operates in eight major metro areas across the US.

Geek Squad

If there’s something strange with your home WiFi, who you gonna call? Best Buy’s Geek Squad. You’ve probably seen their cars and trucks, but what do they actually do? The electronics chain’s customer service program is basically your personal IT department: ready to help install new electronics, evaluate your internet security, or set-up a connected printer. Talk to the Geek Squad at Best Buy stores or over the phone — you can even schedule an appointment at your house.

CEDIA

This international trade association is focused specifically on technology for the home. CEDIA will send a professional to your house to get your technology set up and working effortlessly, but their services go beyond just connecting devices to your WiFi. In addition, CEDIA can create custom control interfaces — from smartphone apps to stand-alone touch panels to handheld remote controls — to help you integrate and manage all of your home tech at once.

Looking for fast, reliable wireless internet to support your smart devices? Check out eero — mesh network technology that blankets every square inch of your home in WiFi.